HK and Cult Film News's Fan Box

Sunday, May 31, 2015

I originally watched these cartoons during my college days, many years ago, on a tiny portable TV. Thus, I never realized that they're actually fairly nice-looking, colorful cartoons with some lovely backgrounds. My only reaction at that time to the Gene Deitch "Tom & Jerry"s was abject horror at how awful they seemed compared to the earlier Hanna-Barbera ones, which were actually known to win Oscars from time to time.

The only way any of the thirteen cartoons in Warner Home Entertainment's TOM AND JERRY: THE GENE DEITCH COLLECTION would get an Oscar would be if producer William L. Snyder taunted members of the Academy enough to have one thrown at him. With Hanna-Barbera's departure from MGM, the studio turned to Snyder and Chicago-born animator-director Gene Deitch (a former Terrytoons producer and father of famed underground comix artist Kim Deitch) to keep the cat-and-mouse game afoot.

From Snyder’s Prague-based animation studio, Rembrandt Films, they churned out 13 new shorts from 1960-62 (after viewing some of the celebrated originals for the first time and disliking them) and created a run of "Tom & Jerry"s which stand as some of the oddest, least accessible, and, some might say, most bizarre mainstream cartoons ever made.

Even as the age of the theatrical cartoon began to wane, moviegoers young and old must've scratched their heads as these wacky artifacts unspooled before them on the big screen. (A later Deitch creation, the Nudnik, would be even harder to relate to, although, to his credit, one of Deitch's unrelated shorts during this period won an Academy Award.)

A follower of the UPA style of animation, Deitch was unused to MGM's old-school, freewheeling slapstick hijinks and outlandish gags. His attempts to recreate the works of animators such as William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, and the brilliant Tex Avery while adapting their brand of outrageous comedy to his post-modern sense of humor resulted in a series of hybrid efforts which, while hardly as entertaining as their forebears, are nevertheless curiously compelling.

Many of the odd, poorly-rendered gags make little or no sense--after being buried alive in "Switchin' Kitten", Tom's tail slithers up out of the ground and then his head appears on the end of it like a flower, looking just as perplexed as we are. The eye-pleasing artwork is at odds with the jerky movements and editing, while the sound effects often consist of reverb-heavy electronic noises that seem to have been recorded in a restroom.

Rather than simply come up with the usual domestic antics for the duo, Deitch started putting them into all kinds of outlandish settings and situations (something Looney Tunes vet Chuck Jones would continue to do when he took over the reins from Deitch later on). Haunted castles, ancient Greek cities, the jungle, outer space, and even a ship under the command of Captain Ahab ("Dicky Moe") are some of the backdrops for these stories.

Some of them consist of Tom simply doing what's expected of him--protecting the homefront from vermin. Meanwhile Jerry, who is basically a home invader out to steal food (and, let's face it, spread disease), gleefully causes the hapless feline to get beaten and tortured for his efforts. Honestly, it's as though we're expected to despise cats with a passion in order to find these cartoons funny.

Deitch lays the anti-cat sadism on thick as the writers try to top themselves coming up with ways for poor Tom to suffer (some of his punishments here are positively medieval) while Jerry, of course--insufferable little bastard that he is--dances around gloating and basking in his own horrid "cuteness." The cat-hate is taken to especially uncomfortable extremes whenever Tom's new owner, a surly fat guy who constantly abuses him, takes him aside for a severe beating as Jerry looks on with a smirk and gorges himself on ill-gotten food.

Fortunately, some of the later entries in the series manage to tone down the Tom-related violence a tad as the stories become a bit cleverer and even the already-passable artwork seems to improve. "Landing Stripling" and "Calypso Cat" come closest to the classic MGM cartoon style (while still displaying the usual Deitch touches) with an old-school look and gags that are actually funny.

In "Landing Stripling", this is helped by making Tom the clear-cut bad guy from the start so that he deserves what he gets for once (although it's clear we're being manipulated to feel that way). The duck character here is a throwback to Yakky Doodle from the classic era although not as cute. "Calypso Cat" finds Tom once again trying to woo a beautiful girl cat, this time aboard a luxury cruise ship, while Jerry mischievously cramps his style--leading to some genuinely funny gags.

Deitch also harkens back to earlier cartoons with the music-based "Carmen Get It!" and the fourth-wall-breaking "The Tom & Jerry Cartoon Kit", although such attempts tend to emphasize the relative awkwardness of the newer ones. "Dicky Mo", the western "Tall in the Trap", and "Sorry Safari" suffer from Deitch's grotesque depiction of human characters, whom Hanna-Barbera generally avoided save for the occasional pair of legs. Another above-average entry is "Buddies...Thicker Than Water", whose tale of penthouse-dwelling Jerry taking in a homeless, freezing Tom actually generates some charm.

The DVD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is in standard format with Dolby mono sound in English and Spanish. The 13 cartoons are newly remastered and look very nice. Subtitles are in English, Spanish, and French. Extras consist of a Gene Deitch interview, "Tom and Jerry…and Gene: The Rembrandt Years", and a series retrospective entitled "Much Ado About Tom and Jerry" which spans the decades from their debut cartoon all the way to their most recent TV incarnations.

Although as a cat-lover I eventually came to find even the earlier, classic MGM "Tom and Jerry" cartoons somewhat hard to endure (feeling sorry for Tom and seething with hatred for Jerry the whole time), I still watch them from time to time simply to enjoy the sheer genius behind their creation. As for the 13 shorts in TOM AND JERRY: THE GENE DEITCH COLLECTION, the reason I watch them is the same reason I watch Ed Wood movies or gaze at kitsch art--because some things are so interestingly bad that they instill in the viewer a curious blend of revulsion, disbelief, and perverse pleasure.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

With a title like THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET (2013), it sounds like some generic horror/slasher flick. But that's just the first of many surprises that this taut, nail-biting suspense thriller has in store for us.

Amy (Jessica Sonneborn, THE WITCHES OF OZ) has just moved into a house on a quiet dead-end street, but it doesn't take long for her to suspect that there's something very wrong going on in the titular abode. The hit-and-run death of an old woman is hushed up, while Amy's overly friendly neighbors nervously evade the subject whenever she presses them for information. And when she tries to learn more, she's harrassed by the local cops including a too-smooth Eric Roberts (SHARKTOPUS, A CRY FROM WITHIN).

The mystery of the house intensifies along with Amy's general distress as she witnesses some disturbing goings-on through her window blinds in the dead of night. The more she finds out, the more dangerous is her involvement, and before long she begins to suspect that even genial family guy Ned (Courtney Gains) and senile old Mr. Barnes (Alex Rocco) aren't what they seem.

There's a Dean Koontz quality to this "plucky single woman in peril" set-up, although as a heroine Amy is somewhat of a whodunnit herself. We know she's running from some terrible event in her past--her ex-boyfriend Joey (Nick Apostolides) mentions "the trial" and Amy freaks out when she can't get her prescription for "anti-psychotics" refilled at the pharmacy.

Jessica Sonneborn plays the role to a turn, keeping us guessing about what's going on behind Amy's unstable fascade. Every time someone speaks to Amy, she acts distracted, preoccupied, as though she's snapping out of a reverie. We wonder what has happened to make her slip sideways from reality like this, and eventually I even started to think that the whole intrigue surrounding the mysterious house might be a product of her own mental derangement.

In addition to Sonneborn, director Arthur Luhn has a wonderfully solid cast to work with here including the perpetually-awesome Eric Roberts at the top of his game as the shady cop Peterson. Alex Rocco, memorable as THE GODFATHER's "Moe Green", is great playing the old-guy neighbor. Familiar face Courtney Gains of CHILDREN OF THE CORN and MEMPHIS BELLE fame has actually become a bit less creepy with age, while Ethan Embry (EMPIRE RECORDS, VEGAS VACATION, STANDING STILL), as Amy's landlord, Tom, maintains an interesting screen persona while finally playing grown-ups.

Luhn's self-confident direction is "stylish" in the best kind of way--his shots are endlessly interesting and eye-pleasing without being overtly so. The editing is quirky but, again, in a subtle sort of way. I like the loose, almost dreamlike feel and unhurried pace of the first half of the film, which gradually gives way to an almost Hitchcockian suspense as Amy doggedly makes her way closer to the dangerous truth.

The DVD from Level 33 Entertainment is widescreen with English subtitles. Extras consist of two trailers and a behind-the-scenes photo gallery.

The air of hidden corruption in an idyllic small town setting reminded me of BLUE VELVET, especially since people keep accusing Amy of "playing detective" just as Kyle MacLachlan's character did in the earlier film. But THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET has its own startling twists and turns--a few too many, in fact, since by the fadeout we're a bit overwhelmed by them--and stands on its own as a worthy and substantial addition to the suspense-thriller genre.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

I missed out on season one of the SundanceTV series "Rectify", which could be a problem with most continuing dramas when you try and pick up on what's going on in midstream and find yourself hopelessly lost.

Not so, however, with Anchor Bay's 3-disc, 10-episode DVD set RECTIFY: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON. Once I'd read a brief rundown of the show's premise--a man convicted of raping and murdering his girlfriend as a teen is released from death row after 19 years due to new DNA evidence and must somehow re-enter a world that is alien to him--I found it to be instantly watchable.

Much of this is due to Aden Young's intense lead performance as Daniel Holden, who, after spending two decades in a cell waiting to die, seems to be perpetually spaced-out just from the act of walking around free. Daniel reminds me of a protagonist in one of those sci-fi stories about an alien trying to assimilate into human society a la "Stranger in a Strange Land"--an enigma not only to those around him but seemingly to himself as well.

Introspective and painfully self-conscious, he's always preoccupied yet acutely focused on everything going on around him as he tries to figure out how to properly interact with it. As though this weren't enough, he still has to deal with people who suspect him of being guilty, including the murdered girl's family, a shady senator out for his blood, and a district attorney who is preparing a new case against him.

But the real heart of the series is Daniel's turbulent relationship with his family. His long-suffering mother Janet (J. Smith-Cameron, THE RAGE: CARRIE 2, THE FIRST WIVES CLUB) and devoted sister Amantha (Abigail Spencer, COWBOYS & ALIENS, "Mad Men") are his biggest supporters and run interference for him when his stepfather Ted (Bruce McKinnon) and stepbrother Ted, Jr. (Clayne Crawford, WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY) find Daniel to be an intolerable burden to the family.

To make things worse, Ted, Jr.'s wife Tawney (Adelaide Clemens, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE) has a romantic history with Daniel that threatens to destroy their marriage. Tawney's Christian faith (sympathetically portrayed, which is rare these days) adds to her guilt while Ted, Jr. takes a dangerous financial risk that may ruin them in order to compensate for his feelings of inadequacy. This is exacerbated by the lingering memory of a violent and humiliating occurrence between him and Daniel which he mistakenly confides to the town sheriff (J.D. Evermore).

Season two begins with Daniel in a coma after having been beaten half to death by the murdered girl's brother and his friends. Further episodes explore his difficult readjustment into family life and his sometimes pathetic attempts to make new friends. (TITANIC's Frances Fisher guest stars as a woman with whom he shares a brief, bittersweet relationship under a false identity.) As the season draws to a close, the district attorney (Sharon Conley) and Senator Foulkes (Michael O'Neill) tighten their resolve to put Daniel back behind bars once and for all.

The 3-disc DVD set from Anchor Bay is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound and subtitles in English and Spanish. The sole bonus feature is a twenty-minute examination of each of the season's ten episodes.

RECTIFY: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON is a solid drama, slow-paced but engrossing, with each storyline given time and space to stretch out rather than always catering to the attention-deficit crowd. It builds to an intense conclusion with one of those season cliffhangers that puts us through the wringer and then leaves us hanging. With Daniel facing the decision to go through a new trial or take a plea deal and sign a confession of guilt, this one has me really looking forward to finding out what happens next.

BEVERLY HILLS – If you thought the 80s were dead -- think again! On September 1st, Anchor Bay Entertainment goes full 80s retro with Lost After Dark, a loving but harrowing homage that takes audiences back to the decade when slashers ruled the silver screen. The exciting directing debut of writer/director Ian Kessner, Lost After Dark proudly features visceral, old-school prosthetic “kills,” and pop songs pulsing to an electronic beat. So thrown on a pair of acid wash jeans and go full-on tubular with Lost After Dark! SRP is $26.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $22.98 for the DVD, with pre-book on July 31st.

Spring Ball, 1984. Adrienne (Kendra Timmins, Midnight Sun, "Wingin' It"), a straight-A student, joins her quarterback crush Sean (Justin Kelly, Maps To The Stars, Big Muddy) and some friends in sneaking out of their high school dance for some unsupervised mayhem. The teens' party plans hit a snag when they run out of gas on a deserted road. They head out on foot and discover a rundown farmhouse where they hope to find help. Instead they find themselves at the mercy of Junior Joad (Mark Wiebe, Sweet Karma), a cannibal killer from an urban legend. After the brutal murder of one of their friends, the group's quest for help becomes one of survival. Will anyone survive the night?

About Anchor Bay Entertainment:
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leading independent home entertainment company celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015. Anchor Bay acquires and releases a wide array of filmed entertainment in the theatrical and home entertainment markets, including STARZ Original series, children's entertainment, fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports and specialty films on Blu-ray™ and DVD formats. The company has long-term distribution agreements in place for select programming with The Weinstein Company, AMC Networks and RADiUS, among others. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a full service distributor in the North American market. Anchor Bay Entertainment is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.

Last night the Seattle International Film Festival presented Kevin Bacon with the Career Achievement in Acting Award. The actor participated in an onstage interview with Fandango's Dave Karger followed by a screening of Focus World's Cop Car, directed by Jon Watts. Bacon also attended the festival's screenings of his films Diner and Footloose. The 41st annual Festival runs from May 14 until June 7, 2015. For more information, please visit http://www.siff.net/.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

LOS ANGELES, CA – Stadium Media announced today that it is set to distribute the classic television show “That Girl” via digital platforms. “That Girl” first aired in 1966 and starred the effervescent Marlo Thomas as Ann Marie, a struggling actress in New York. Current plans are set for “That Girl” Season 1 to stream on Hulu beginning May 22, 2015. Season 2 will follow shortly thereafter. The digital deal was jointly announced by Mitch Mallon, founder of Stadium Media and Paul Brownstein, whose company owns home entertainment distribution rights to more than 4,000 hours of classic television.

“We’re delighted to be offering fans of classic television this gem on digital platforms,” commented Mallon. “We are also pleased to be able to open the eyes of a new generation to this wonderful and iconic television program.”

“That Girl” premiered in 1966 and was one of the first sitcoms to concentrate on a single woman who was not a domestic or living with her parents. The program is considered by many to be the precursor of such influential programs as “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Murphy Brown,” and “Ally McBeal,” and a reflection of the changing roles of American women in feminist-era America. Also featuring Ted Bessell as Ann Marie’s boyfriend Donald, “That Girl” had a cast that included George Carlin, Dabney Coleman, Ruth Buzzi and Bernie Kopell among others.

With a subject that was revolutionary in its depiction of a young, modern woman, “That Girl” was unique for its time. And as its newest acquisition, it is also a reflection of Stadium Media’s founding principles: as a company that is equally independent as it helps independent filmmakers find their digital home in a vibrant and ever-changing marketplace.

Paul Brownstein is an executive producer who has worked in the fields of television, music, recording, radio, concert touring and home video. Paul Brownstein Productions owns worldwide TV and home video distribution rights to classic TV comedy, variety series and specials, including “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and has worked with clients such as Cher, Richard Pryor, Groucho Marx Productions and Lucille Ball Productions.

About Stadium Media
Stadium Media is a digital distribution company and content provider with a proven track record in an ever-changing marketplace. The company has successful long-term business relationships with the top platforms including iTunes, Hulu, Amazon, Netflix and Google. Its founder, Mitch Mallon, is a 25-year entertainment veteran who has achieved tremendous success in the music, home entertainment and digital entertainment industries. He has over a decade of experience in the digital distribution arena and was a key player in the launch of one of the industry’s first digital content companies, Egami Media, a subsidiary of Image Entertainment. The field was virtually unknown at the time and he built relationships with accounts very well known today including iTunes, Hulu Plus and Google. Stadium Media is where the content finds its audience.

Anyone who knows what an animation cel is should at least be aware of the classic Warner Brothers theatrical cartoon shorts of the 30s-60s. If you grew up with them, then chances are that they, along with the equally brilliant MGM cartoons of the same era, are among your all-time favorites.

And since they were made to entertain both the adults and children in the theater audience with a combination of slapstick absurdity and wry, sophisticated humor, their appeal doesn't diminish with the passage of time. Indeed, many of them are even more impressive today than ever before.

If nothing else, the Warner Brothers animation department--including such directors as Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Friz Freleng, and Robert McKimson--were a wildly innovative bunch, and this is rarely more evident than in their experimental music-based cartoons. Some of these, such as "Rabbit of Seville", "One Froggy Evening", and "What's Opera, Doc?", are nothing short of astounding. With LOONEY TUNES MUSICAL MASTERPIECES, Warner Home Entertainment has collected 18 of these on one DVD which should delight any fan of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies.

Not only do we get a cross-section of the best WB musical cartoons but also, for most of them, commentary tracks by film historians and in some cases the original directors, animators, etc. Some also have isolated music and voice tracks.

The artwork and design of these classic shorts are just as beautiful as ever, from the more lavish, rounded figures and backgrounds of the earlier ones ("I Love to Singa", "Page Miss Glory", "Katnip Kollege", "Rhapsody in Rivets") to the later, more abstract and angular look of the "modern"-era cartoons (the mindboggling "What's Opera, Doc?" and "One Froggy Evening", the jazzy "Three Little Bops"). Even the occasional misfire ("Nelly's Folly", "High Note") is worth a look.

Old standby characters are called into service and perform brilliantly, with such legendary figures as Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, and Sylvester the Cat ("Back Alley Oproar") proving themselves quite adaptable to the musical format thanks to the voice talents of the great Mel Blanc, Arthur Q. Bryan, Stan Freberg, and others. Warner Brothers musical maestros Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn provide the robust musical backing.

Bugs is the runaway star here--in addition to "Rabbit of Seville" and "What's Opera, Doc?", he's also at his irreverent best in "Corny Concerto", "Rhapsody Rabbit", and "Hillbilly Hare" with its hilarious square-dance finale. But the one-shot efforts in which the directors were allowed to experiment most freely ("Pizzicato Pussycat", "Lights Fantastic", "Pigs in a Polka", the delightful "Holiday Shoestrings") are loaded with a warmth and charm all their own.

The DVD from Warner Home Entertainment is in the original standard format with Dolby English and Spanish mono and English subtitles. In addition to the various commentary and isolated tracks are the "Behind-the-Tunes" featurettes "It Hopped One Night: A Look at 'One Froggy Evening'", "Wagnerian Wabbit: The Making of 'What's Opera, Doc?'", "Merrie Melodies: Carl Stalling and Cartoon Music", and "Sing-a-Song of Looney Tunes."

Those who grew up with Looney Tunes already know how great they are, but for anyone who has somehow managed to miss out on the wonders of the Warner Brothers theatrical cartoons all these years, LOONEY TUNES MUSICAL MASTERPIECES should be a real eye--and ear--opener.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON ON DVD AUGUST 4, 2015Features All 29 Digitally Remastered Episodes and Nearly 2 Hours of Bonus Content

BURBANK, CA (May 18, 2015) – The Man From U.N.C.L.E. has captured the hearts of its viewers since its premiere in 1964. This critically-acclaimed spoof television series featuring Leo G. Carrol, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy was the first successful spy show on American television and one of the first series to become an international phenomenon. Prior to the theatrical release of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in August 2015, fans can now relive their favorite moments as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment gets set to release The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete First Season on DVD August 4, 2015.

This digitally enhanced series, also nominated for 7 Emmy Awards over its successful 4 season run, includes 29 one-hour long episodes of priceless entertainment and over 100 minutes of enhanced content. Order due date is June 30, 2015.

In this hit spoof of the spy genre, actors Robert Vaughn and David McCallum play the roles of top agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin who use their charm, wit, and a never-ending assortment of gadgets to defend the world from evil, chaos and bad taste. The successful series also stars Leo G. Carrol as Alexander Waverly and features guest stars such as William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, of Star Trek, Kurt Russell, Ricardo Montalban and longtime comedy favorite Ken Murray. From trying to save the world from fear gas to trying to save themselves from a pack of bloodthirsty cheetahs, these serious spies bring the suspense and fun to life. You may even forget it's in black and white!

“The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete First Season is the first successful spy series of its kind and we are proud to bring it back to viewers to experience all the action” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, Television Marketing. “The episodes have been digitally remastered and will allow audiences young and old to relive this phenomenon before the theatrical release!”

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete First Season Enhanced on DVD includes 29 1-Hour Episodes:

25. The Never-Never Affair
26. The Love Affair
27. The Gazebo in the Maze Affair

DISC TEN

28. The Girls of Nazarene Affair
29. The Odd Man Affair

DISC ELEVEN

• Bonus Features

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.

Level 33 Entertainment Announces the May 26, 2015 DVD Release ofThe Acclaimed Horror/Thriller Film THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET

Los Angeles, CA - Level 33 Entertainment announced today the upcoming release of the psychological horror / thriller feature film THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET available for the first time on DVD at Amazon.com and fine retailers everywhere beginning on May 26, 2015. The film has just completed a successful limited theatrical run.

THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET was written and directed by festival award winning director, Arthur Luhn (Conned, The Golden Legacy) and was produced by Bill McAdams Jr. (Money Shot, House Of Fear). The film was an official selection of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, the Northampton International Film Festival, and the winner of the Golden Reel Award at the Nevada Film Festival.

THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET features the talented cast of Ethan Embry (Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie”, Eagle Eye, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), Academy Award ® Nominee Eric Roberts (Inherent Vice, The Expendables, The Dark Knight), Jessica Sonneborn (Alice D, Dorothy and the Witches from Oz), Alex Rocco (The Godfather, The Wedding Planner), and Courtney Gains (Sweet Home Alabama, Back To The Future).

Synopsis: When Amy moves into a new apartment, she notices strange things happening at THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET. Always a curious girl, Amy is compelled to investigate further. The more she finds out, the closer she gets to the center of a horrific conspiracy that threatens to tear apart her new town and destroy the lives of its people.

ABOUT Level 33 Entertainment
Los Angeles based Level 33 Entertainment is an entertainment company dedicated to redefining the landscape for independent film distribution. Level 33 provides innovative sales, marketing and distribution services for feature films and entertainment content, delivering a flexible and transparent distribution solution for all platforms including Theatrical, Home Entertainment, Digital and Broadcast.

LOS ANGELES/CANNES (May 16, 2015) – Red Sea Media is handling international sales on Cinedigm’s American International Pictures (AIP) reinventions of the 1950s genre classics. Lou Arkoff (THE MESSENGERS, DARKNESS FALLS, INSPECTOR GADGET), Jeff Katz (FREDDY VS. JASON, SNAKES ON A PLANE, WOLVERINE) and Hal Sadoff (THE NICE GUYS, THE BREED, HOTEL RWANDA) are set to produce this ten-picture deal. The AIP reinventions have a September production start earmarked. All ten titles are scheduled to shoot back-to-back. Cast and directors are expected to be announced shortly.

Former New Line and Fox executive Jeff Katz penned each script and the ten individual stories will feed into one epic overarching storyline across all ten films. Arkoff is the son of the late Samuel Z. Arkoff, co-founder of AIP and has previously remade AIP titles for Showtime and HBO. This unique 10 picture project will deliver a complete reinvention of the quirkiest and most memorable movies in the famed American International Pictures portfolio, flipping them into an R-rated comic book style movie universe with multiple interconnecting characters.

The 10 titles will include: GIRLS IN PRISON; VIKING WOMEN & THE SEA SERPENT; THE BRAIN EATERS; SHE-CREATURE; TEENAGE CAVEMAN; REFORM SCHOOL GIRL; THE UNDEAD; HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER; THE COOL & THE CRAZY; and DAY THE WORLD ENDED.

American International Pictures (AIP) was founded in 1954 by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff. After realizing the growth and influence of teenage movie-goers, Nicholson and Arkoff set off over the next 30 years inundating the teen market with action, comedy and horror films. AIP grew very lucrative in the 1960s mainly due to Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. Corman was soon dubbed "The King of the Cult Film" and "The Pope of Pop Cinema", and to this day dozens of his films are still considered genuine cult classics, and inspirations for many filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola and Peter Bogdanovich.

ABOUT RED SEA MEDIA

Roman Kopelevich is the CEO and founder of Red Sea Media and its genre label Dead Sea Media which was launched in December 2011 with Vadim Gorainov and Svetlana Snitko.

Founded in 1954 by Samuel Arkoff and James H. Nicholson, AIP specialized in low-budget, independent films aimed at the teenage audience. AIP produced or distributed more than 500 films during its existence, including the Beach Party series with Frankie Avalon and the late Annette Funicello as well as the early films of director Roger Corman. In 1979, AIP merged with Filmways, which later was folded into Orion Pictures. Currently, the rest of the library is owned by MGM, Orion’s successor.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Jess Franco's immediate follow-up to his relatively well-made VAMPYROS LESBOS is another dark, death-shrouded vehicle for the lovely and exotic Soledad Miranda (again billed as "Susann Korda") featuring some of the same castmembers including Paul Müller, Ewa Strömberg, and Franco himself.

The result, SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY (1971), is a slasher/revenge thriller which stands with his previous effort as one of my two favorite Franco films so far.

The storyline this time is lean and simple--genetic research scientist Dr. Johnson (Fred Williams) commits suicide after his maverick work with human embryos is viciously derided as inhumane by his peers, who suggest he be not only imprisoned but even executed for such atrocious ideas.

Devastated, his devoted wife (Soledad Miranda, known only as "Mrs. Johnson" throughout the film) vows revenge against the four scientists she holds responsible for her husband's death. These are Prof. Jonathan Walker (Howard Vernon), Dr. Franklin Houston (Paul Müller), Dr. Crawford (Ewa Strömberg), and, last but not least, Jesús Franco as the understandably nervous Dr. Donen.

Even before the murders begin, we get an idea of how casually perverse SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY is when we learn that Mrs. Johnson is keeping her husband's death a secret in order to have necrophilic relations with his corpse. While this may sound romantic on paper, it comes off as a bit strange in practice.

Soledad Miranda handles these scenes as she does all her others, with a smoldering intensity that is always enhanced by her dark, exquisite physical beauty. When she becomes a seductive femme fatale, donning various guises to stalk her male and female prey before brutally killing them, her presence always fascinates.

As Franco's muse for all-too-short a time, she seems to inspire him to do some of his best work. For example, the death of Dr. Crawford (Strömberg, who played Countess Carody's lover in VAMPYROS LESBOS) is artfully choreographed and shot, with the added visual flair of having the hapless woman suffocated with a clear plastic pillow through which we can still see her anguished face.

The murders of the male victims are more brutal and violent, although much of this is suggested rather than graphically depicted. Still, it's shocking enough to see Mrs. Johnson going through the motions of castration and aggravated genital mutilation (Franco's unfortunate shlub of a character gets special attention) on a level usually reserved for the most agregious rape-revenge plots.

This emphasizes just how deranged she is and to what extent she must sadistically torture and degrade the objects of her wrath as punishment for driving her husband to suicide. These scenes are heavily sado-masochistic as well.

A limited collector's edition, the handsome 2-disc Blu-ray+CD set from Severin Films is in 16 x 9 widescreen with 2.0 sound. The soundtrack is German with English subtitles. Extras consist of a 20-minute Franco interview, an interview with Soledad Miranda historian Amy Brown (the same one found in Severin's VAMPYROS LESBOS set), an interview with "Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jess Franco" author Stephen Thrower, a brief interview with actor Paul Müller, and the original German trailer.

Disc two is actually a music CD entitled "3 Films by Jess Franco" containing tracks from VAMPYROS LESBOS, SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY, and THE DEVIL CAME FROM AKASAVA. These 24 musical tracks by Manfred Hübler and Siegfried Schwab are offbeat and enjoyable--much more so, in fact, when isolated in this way than when heard as backing for scenes which, in my opinion, they're often wildly inappropriate. I found much of this music to be terrifically listenable.

Although still displaying that unpolished quality characteristic of Franco's work, SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY is more crisply wrought and thematically unfettered than his other films I've seen. And as a companion piece to VAMPYROS LESBOS, it stands as a fitting testament to the talent and appeal of Soledad Miranda, whose promising career was so tragically cut short by a fatal car accident soon after filming was completed.

That said, I do find most of it fun to watch even if it's often in a "so bad it's good" kind of way. My fifth Franco film, VAMPYROS LESBOS (1971), is the best one I've seen so far and definitely worth watching, although I wouldn't call it a must-see unless you're already a fan.

This sun-blanched, 70s-tacky vampire yarn is like a distaff version of "Dracula", with Ewa Stroemberg (SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY) as Linda and Soledad Miranda (here billed as "Susann Korda") as Countess Nadine Carody filling in for Jonathan Harker and Count Dracula. Linda arrives at the Countess' sunny island in Istanbul to help expedite a legal matter--namely, the inheritance by Nadine of the late Count Dracula's estate--and ends up mired in a nightmarish lesbian affair with the undead beauty in which she unwillingly supplies both emotional and physical sustenance, i.e. blood.

Linda has already been having dreams about Nadine before meeting her, so the attraction is mutual. After some skinny-dipping and nude sunbathing, Nadine drugs Linda's drink (this vampire DOES drink wine) and has her "vampyros lesbos" way with her, giving Franco the first of several chances to enhance his film with some "Cinemax After Dark"-style softcore sex before the lady vamp goes for the jugular.

After waking up with confused memories of the encounter, Linda and her boyfriend Omar (Viktor Feldmann) seek the help of Dr. Seward (Dennis Price, VENUS IN FURS), a specialist in the supernatural whose sanitarium is home to a madwoman named Agra (Heidrun Kussin), also a victim of Countess Carody. Of course, the troubled inmate in the thrall of the vampire, the occult-savvy Dr. Seward, and the sanitarium setting itself are all further references to the original Dracula story.

The plot proceeds at a snail's pace most of the way and not a whole lot exciting happens with the exception of a few key scenes such as the showdown between the Countess and Dr. Seward and Linda's capture and near-murder by a demented hotel employee played by Franco himself. Things come to a rather sedate climax that builds little suspense and goes more for tragedy than horror as the Countess spins her web of forbidden desire for the hapless Linda.

Visually, VAMPYROS LESBOS often resembles a Doris Wishman film with its rough-hewn production values and garish, often kitschy design, all in distinctive Eastmancolor. As expected, the camerawork is clumsy at times but Franco shows some style as well as his usual inborn zest for filmmaking. A strangely inappropriate score by Manfred Hubler, Siegfried Schwab, and Jess Franco is a mish-mash of noodly jazz, twangy sitar notes, and what sounds like someone mumbling robotically through a distorted speaker.

Performances are mostly wooden save for Heidrun Kussin's frantic portrayal of Agra, while Soledad Miranda's dark beauty and charisma as the Countess (she reminds me of Victoria Vetri) lend the film much of its appeal. Also appearing are Paul Muller (NIGHTMARE CASTLE) and J. Martinez Blanco as the Countess' loyal servant Morpho.

A limited collector's edition, the attractively packaged 2-disc Blu-ray+DVD set from Severin Films is in 16 x 9 widescreen with 2.0 sound. The soundtrack is German with English subtitles. Extras consist of a 20-minute Franco interview, an interview with Soledad Miranda historian Amy Brown, an interview with "Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jess Franco" author Stephen Thrower, a brief clip in which Franco explains how he was the inspiration for the "Star Wars" character Yoda, trailers, and the alternate German opening titles sequence.

While disc one contains the German-language HD-remastered Blu-ray version of the film, disc two is the "bootleg" Spanish-dubbed DVD version. The print has that "grindhouse" look (which I like because of the nostalgia value) and is a shorter edit with several trims and all of the nudity deleted. (This includes two lengthy sequences in which Soledad Miranda's character does an erotic dance in a local nightclub.) Another big difference is an alternate organ-based musical score which sounds much more like a traditional creepy score for a horror movie.

Slow-moving and dry, VAMPYROS LESBOS nevertheless has that indefinable Jess Franco quality that should appeal to his fans. For others, this very sunny and not all that horrific vampire tale will either be a bore or a pleasant diversion.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Creepy in a way that harkens back to such now-vintage horrors as NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, THE DROWNSMAN (2014) scores major points for originality and even more for style. Not to mention an "A" for effort.

After a near-drowning experience that leaves her deathly afraid of water, Madison (Michelle Mylett, ANTISOCIAL) is haunted by delusions--or are they memories?--of being held captive by a hideous fiend in his horrible basement dungeon where he drowns his victims. Even a year later, her fears cause her to miss being maid of honor at the wedding of her friend Hannah (Caroline Korycki), who angrily arranges a group intervention in order to exorcise Madison's seemingly irrational fear of water.

But the "seance" Hannah believes will do the trick backfires when Cathryn (Clare Bastable) turns out to be a real medium and actually invokes the evil spirit of Madison's "Drownsman", who then goes on a reign of terror in which he abducts and drowns Madison's friends one by one. As the death toll mounts, Madison and Hannah realize that their only hope for survival is to somehow track down and confront the supernatural killer in his own dreaded lair.

While relying just as much on jittery jump scares as most other current horror films, THE DROWNSMAN also carefully establishes an overall mood of creeping unease punctuated by moments that are nightmarishly surreal. The ghostly killer can strike anywhere there's water, so we're constantly startled by shots of hands darting out of bathtubs, sinks, washing machines, etc. and dragging people kicking and screaming down the drain.

There's also good use of the kind of dark "anything can happen" dreamworld atmosphere of the original ELM STREET, but without Freddy's smart-ass sense of humor. Scenes such as the one in which Madison, Hannah, and their friend Kobie (Gemma Bird Matheson) are trapped in an elevator that's quickly filling up with water even have a bit of a Dario Argento quality about them that helps elevate the film out of the ordinary. (I also found it reminiscent in certain ways of the surreal Japanese horror film NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE.)

Their venture to a madhouse to talk with the Drownsman's only surviving victim, Isabelle (JoAnn Nordstrom), is equally shiver-inducing as well as revealing. It all builds to a nocturnal visit to the haunted house where the killer's ghost is said to reside, and down into the basement of watery doom itself.

What happens there isn't exactly terrifying, and didn't leave me looking over my shoulder as did such genuinely blood-chilling flicks as THE VICTIM and THE ABANDONED, but director Chad Archibald has a sharp, eye-pleasing visual style and knows how to keep us in suspense. His cast, while not outstanding, fill their roles well and are more than convincing in the more difficult scenes. Steph Copeland's music is robustly effective without blasting our eardrums as so many current horror film scores do.

The DVD from Anchor Bay is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound and subtitles in English and Spanish. No extras.

It's nice to see a modern horror thriller that isn't about a group of ditzy teenagers getting picked off in a secluded cabin by the latest Jason wannabe, or freaking out over scary text messages on their cell phones. THE DROWNSMAN may not give you nightmares, but it's a welcome throwback to a certain kind of imaginative, atmospheric, suburban-Gothic chiller that cropped up now and then during the 70s and 80s.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

"A deceptive, contradictory, barbed work of considerable formal audacity and artistic ambition." ~ Andrew O’Hehir, Salon.com"One of this century's most breathtaking independent films." ~ Lindsey Bahr, Associated PressANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT AND AMPLIFY RELEASING PRESENT
A ZELLNER BROTHERS ADVENTURE:KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTERAVAILABLE ON DIGITAL HD, ON DEMAND, AND ON BLU-RAY™Beverly Hills, CA – Anchor Bay Entertainment and Amplify Releasing present the story of an odyssey that is also an oddity, KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER. Directed by David Zellner, written by David and Nathan Zellner, and executive produced by 2011 Academy Award® winner Alexander Payne (The Descendants), this festival favorite won the Jury Prize at the Fantasia Film Festival and received a Special Jury Prize nomination at the Sundance Film Festival. Bringing a generous cache of dark comedy and bright drama, KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER will be available on Digital HD and On Demand on June 19th and on Blu-ray™ on June 30th. Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi, 2006 Oscar® nominee, Babel) is a cubicle-bound office worker seeking to escape her dour working life. Relying on her imagination and unabashed courage, Kumiko thinks she has found a way out: she has become obsessed with a battered tape of a popular film – mistaking it for a documentary. In particular she is fixated on the scene where a suitcase of stolen cash has been buried in North Dakota’s bleak landscape. Believing this treasure to be real and waiting to be discovered, Kumiko leaves behind Tokyo and her beloved rabbit Bunzo to recover it – and finds herself on a dangerous adventure unlike anything she’s seen in the movies.

Inspired by an urban legend, KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER is a beguiling journey of determination and delusion. Sean Porter’s (2015 Independent Spirit Award nominee, It Felt Like Love) cinematography has created scenes of stark, cold beauty as we follow Kumiko’s dogged, misguided journey through the snowy countryside. A quiet narrative of the mind’s perils and enticements, KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER gently reveals the twists and turns of the imagination that lie buried within us all.The KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER Blu-ray™ bonus features include an audio commentary with the Zellner Brothers and producer Chris Ohlson, as well as deleted and alternate scenes.About Amplify Releasing

Amplify Releasing is a New York-based all-rights distribution company that aims to bring the best in global independent film to theaters and beyond. Formed in 2014, Amplify uses proprietary cutting edge marketing and distribution techniques with a focus on working directly with filmmakers to craft hand-tailored release campaigns for each film. Amplify is financed by Preferred Ventures. Recent releases from Amplify Releasing include David Zellner’s Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter and Sara Colangelo’s Little Accidents. For more information, visit amplifyreleasing.com

Friday, May 8, 2015

Throughout the history of cinema, mothers have had an everlasting impact on the screen characters we love. And, as we get ready for Mother's Day (Sunday, May 10), Indiewire cordially invites you to celebrate some of the movie's most memorable moms, courtesy of the Indiewire contributor blog Press Play(which Roger Ebert called "the best video essay source on the web") and independent digital filmmaker, writer and content creator, Nelson Carvajal.

About Indiewire®
Indiewire® is the leading news, information, and networking site for independent-minded filmmakers, the industry and moviegoers alike, Indiewire launched on July 15, 1996 and re-launched with a bold new approach on January 12, 2009 from new parent company SnagFilms. Two-time winner of the Webby Award for best film website (most recently, in 2012), Indiewire was lauded as a "must read" by Variety, branded the "online heartbeat of the world's independent film community" by Forbes, and dubbed "best indie crossroads" by film critic Roger Ebert.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

A COLLECTION SHOWCASING 11 CELEBRATED PEANUTS SPECIALS
IS SET FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Two-Disc Collection Features Over Four Hours of Peanuts SpecialsBURBANK, CA (May 5, 2015) – It’s Snoopy and Charlie Brown at their very best with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s (WBHE) release of Peanuts: Emmy® Honored Collection, available in stores September 15, 2015. This must-own collection brings together 11 beloved Peanuts specials that have been brilliantly remastered in all-new 4K Ultra HD transfers to DVD. Each of the featured specials has earned an Emmy® Award nomination or won an Emmy® Award. Peanuts: Emmy® Honored Collection will retail for $26.99 SRP.

Take a bow, Charlie Brown! Now fans have a front-row seat to a showcase of the most prestigious Peanuts features ever assembled into one collection. Peanuts: Emmy® Honored Collection includes 11 animated television specials on two discs. All of the specials featured in this release were recognized with either an Emmy® Award win or nomination. All specials have been remastered for gorgeous picture and sound quality. It’s a collection full of big laughs, best friends and life lessons that will delight the whole family.

Featured Specials:

You’re the Greatest, Charlie Brown– Hard work and team spirit is what Charlie Brown needs to win the decathlon at the school Junior Olympics event. His competitors are Marcie, defending Decathlon champ Freddie Fabulous and the Masked Marvel (aka, Snoopy). On the first day, Charlie Brown places third. On day two however, he begins to feel the pressure. He’s faced with having to tackle the high hurdles, pole vault, discus/javelin throw, and other events. Will he emerge victorious and win the Olympics for his school? This special was nominated for a Primetime Emmy® Award (Outstanding Animated Program).She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown– Peppermint Patty trains for a figure-skating competition with Snoopy as her coach. Her determination is fierce, even after facing several obstacles, including exhaustion from pre-dawn training sessions to Marci’s failure to create a proper skating outfit, to her soundtrack malfunctioning at the start of her performance. Will it be disaster on ice or will Peppermint Patty emerge as a champ? This special was nominated for a Primetime Emmy ® Award (Outstanding Animated Program). It’s Magic, Charlie Brown– This special finds Snoopy putting on a show after he checks out a book on magic tricks from the library. With Marcie and Sally as his assistants, he performs many tricks (some that work and some that don’t) before an audience. The grand finale features the biggest trick of all, making Charlie Brown disappear. To everyone’s amazement, Snoopy makes him invisible but doesn’t know how to bring Charlie Brown back. Will Snoopy find a way to reverse the trick? This special was nominated for a Primetime Emmy ® Award (Outstanding Animated Program).Someday You’ll Find Her, Charlie Brown– Charlie Brown is in love – again! He enlists Linus’ help to find a pretty girl he spotted in the crowd at a football game. He is crushed when the game ends because he thinks he’ll never see her again. This special was nominated for two Primetime Emmy ® Awards (Outstanding Animated Program/Outstanding Individual Achievement – Animated Programming).Is this Goodbye, Charlie Brown? – Linus’ father lands a new job which, means the family must relocate. As Linus and Lucy prepare to depart, the Peanuts gang all bid them farewell. Everyone has to cope with the Van Pelts’ departure – some to a greater degree than others. Their absence is felt by all. Charlie Brown is miserable without his pal Linus and Sally too misses her "sweet babboo." Schroeder regrets not saying a proper "good-bye" to Lucy. Peppermint Patty attempts to cheer up Charlie Brown. How will the gang cope with their pals having left the neighborhood? This special was nominated for a Primetime Emmy ® Award (Outstanding Animated Program).Life is a Circus, Charlie Brown– This special finds Snoopy joining the circus when he falls for one of its performers, a white poodle named Fifi. Snoopy soon becomes a star performer, doing tricks on the unicycle, high wire and trapeze, and he’s renamed "Hugo the Great." In the meantime, Charlie Brown is left distraught by Snoopy’s decision. What he doesn’t know however, is that for Snoopy, show business isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Will Snoopy ever return home or will the lure of stardom and his love for Fifi keep him from Charlie Brown? This special earned a Primetime Emmy ® Award (Outstanding Animated Program).What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?– This touching special finds the Peanuts gang in Europe as they visit various war memorials. They learn about the First and Second World Wars, and the sacrifices made by soldiers at various historical battles. In France they learn about the D-Day Invasion of World War II. Charlie Brown and his pals also visit Ypres and find out about the various battles fought during World War I. Linus recites the famous war poem "In Flanders Fields." This special was nominated for a Primetime Emmy® Award (Outstanding Animated Program).It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown– Originally broadcast in 1984, this special is comprised of several clever parodies inspired by popular early ‘80s dance trends ranging from disco to break dancing as well as a series of top 40 hit songs from the era. It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown earned an Emmy ® Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program.Snoopy’s Getting Married, Charlie Brown– Is Snoopy really planning on tying the knot? In this special, everyone in the Peanuts gang pitches in, in an effort to make preparations for Snoopy’s big wedding day. When Snoopy meets the girl of his dreams, Genevieve, a beautiful Poodle, they begin courting and soon after, he proposes. The excitement builds as the big day draws near but Snoopy gets increasingly nervous about leaving his bachelorhood behind. Will wedding bells ring for Snoopy? This special was nominated for a Primetime Emmy ® Award (Outstanding Animated Program).Why, Charlie Brown, Why?– This moving special finds Linus learning how to cope with a very ill classmate, Janice, whom he has grown close to and feels a great deal of affection for. He visits her at the hospital and at school, he defends her from a bully who makes fun of the way she looks. As Janice undergoes treatments to recover her health, Linus questions why she became ill to begin with. This special was nominated for a Primetime Emmy® Award (Outstanding Animated Program).You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown - Start your engines! Its Motocross season and competing against the likes of Peppermint Patty and the Masked Marvel – aka a certain daredevil Beagle named Snoopy – can intimidate anyone. But if Charlie Brown – tagged with unlucky number 13 – can keep the pace slow and steady (as well as hold onto his helmet), he might just win the race! It’s fast and furious fun right up through the finish line with this wonderful Emmy® Award winner (Outstanding Children’s Special).

"Peanuts: Emmy® Honored Collection offers fans the opportunity to own several outstanding Peanuts specials, including childhood favorites to share with a new generation," said Mary Ellen Thomas, Vice President Family & Animation Marketing. She added, "We’re delighted to release this wonderful collection. This is a must-own title for any Peanuts fan."

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.